Title: The Hand Circumcision and the True Circumcision
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, my brethren, it is no trouble for me to write the same thing to you, and it is safe for you. We who boast in our bodies and put no confidence in the flesh, we are the circumcision.
1. Words that begin
2. Rejoice in the Lord
3. Avoid Hand Circumcision
Therefore, Paul, the apostle of Christ, reiterated what he had said before for the safety of the members of the church who were in danger of falling into the path of destruction. The message is to beware of dogs, beware of evildoers, and refrain from circumcision. These three expressions express the legalists according to their characteristics.
In the East at the time, dogs were animals that wandered the streets and fields without owners, rummaging through trash cans, picking up garbage, and growling, biting and fighting at each other and at people. Therefore, the title dog was used to refer to a person who was unclean, ungodly, impudent, greedy, arrogant, complaining, quarrelsome, and flirtatious. In a word, the dog was synonymous with utter contempt, loathing, and the outcast. No, the false teachers were ignorant of shame and barked and bit at Paul and his followers, who preached the gospel that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Their fangs were either salvation by works of the law, or syncretistic doctrine of salvation by superimposing works of the law on faith in Christ.
The Apostle Paul accused the false teachers who growl and droop in order to bring the believers who have been saved by believing in the Lord into the path of destruction, and they are very appropriately evil. Needless to say, the greatest evil that a person can do to a person is to lead the person who has been saved to destruction again.
Because false teachers insisted on circumcision as a sign of salvation and forced them to do so, the Apostle Paul made fun of them as hand halides. The original word is not peritome (περιτομ?) meaning 'circumcision', but ten katatomen (τ?ν κατατομ?ν) meaning 'one who injures the body' or 'one who cuts off part of the body by hand'. is made. In other words, circumcision, performed only as a religious ceremony without any salvation, is not a sign of salvation, but a sign of sin that violates the law not to cut flesh.
I don't know how many times and how many false teachers have deceived those who believe in the Lord and are saved by claiming that they are saved by human strength, effort, or conscientious good deeds.
Not long ago, there was also a scammer selling tickets to heaven in Korea, and a strange phenomenon occurred that sold amazingly well. Also, some fraudsters claimed that they could enter Heaven only if they were sealed by him because they were God's special servants. However, quite a few people flocked to it and it was very difficult to stamp their foreheads. I would have made a lot of money thanks to you...
Jesus, foreseeing this unfortunate event, said in Matthew 24:23-24, “When people say to you, ‘Look, here the Christ is or he is there, do not believe it. I will show you wonders, if possible, to deceive even the elect.”
Everyone, I hope you will remain firmly in Christ and obey only the word of God boldly according to the work of the Holy Spirit.
4. True Circumcision
The Apostle Paul said that we Christians are the true circumcision in the true sense. In other words, the church is the new Israel, the saved community, or spiritual Israel.
The first evidence that we have been circumcised, the sign of salvation, is to serve by the Spirit of God. The original word for ‘serving’ here is latryuontes (λατρε?οντε?), which means ‘to serve’ or ‘to worship’. Church members who have been saved offer worship, which is the concentration of their religious life, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God. However, Jews regarded worship as a religious ceremony and held it formally. That's why Jesus said in John 4:23, "The hour is coming, and now is, when those who truly worship the Father will worship him in spirit and in truth, for the Father is looking for those who worship him like this."
The second proof of being circumcised, the sign of salvation, is to boast in Christ Jesus. The Jews were proud of being circumcised, boasting of their literal fulfillment of the law, and boasting of their formal observance of ordinances and ceremonies. In other words, they boasted of their own righteousness. However, the members of the church boast only of Christ Jesus, who saves them from being led by Satan as slaves to sin and death and leads them into the path of eternal life. Our true pride and glory should be only the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul confessed in Galatians 6:14, “Nevertheless, I have nothing to boast about except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
How are you? Do you still brag about worldly things and glorify human achievements?
The third evidence of being circumcised, the sign of salvation, is distrust in the flesh, the self and the fulfillment of self apart from God. We must trust only in the Lord.
5. Conclusion
Immediately after Leonardo da Vinci finished ‘The Last Supper’, he invited the painters to see it. When they looked closely at the picture, they said, “How beautiful is the cup in the hand of Christ!” and admired it. Then Leonardo da Vinci quickly picked up his brush and wiped the glass away. Then he said: “I don’t want it to be in this picture that distracts the face of Christ.”
Everyone, I earnestly hope that you will live your life looking only at the Lord, who is our true pride.
(Poongseong Methodist Church. Book: Complete Commentary on the New Testament Series/ Interpretation of difficult scriptures/ Prayer of Prosperity/ Salvation before the birth of Jesus/ Sermonbook 17. 426-3051